Investigation of the relationship between hedonic hunger and menstrual cycles of adult women

Zeynep ÖZKARSLI, Investigation of the Relationship Between Hedonic Hunger and Menstrual Cycles of Adult Women, Hasan Kalyoncu University, Graduate Education Institute, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Graduate Thesis, Gaziantep, 2022. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between all three periods of the menstrual cycle (premenstrual period, menstruation period and postmenstrual period) and hedonic hunger conditions in adult women. The study was conducted among 125 volunteer women of reproductive age who applied to the nutrition and diet outpatient clinic between December 2021 and March 2022. The women's height, body weight, hip circumference, waist circumference measurements were taken by the women themselves in the online system. In the face-to-face system, the measurements were taken by the researcher. According to the results, women's BMI, waist circumference/hip circumference ratio, waist circumference/height ratio were calculated. Visual Analogue Scale, The Power of Food Scale (PFS), 24-Hour Food Consumption Record in premenstrual, menstruation and postmenstrual periods were applied. The mean age of women was 30.0 ± 10,11 years. The mean BMI values of the women were determined as 26,0 ±7,47 kg/m2. It was determined that 37.6% of women ate more than normal in the premenstrual period, 26.4% in the menstrual period, and 8.8% in the postmenstrual period. The status of women waking up at night and snacking was found to be positively correlated with the PFS total score in all 3 periods of their menstrual cycles (p<0.05). The total PFS score of the women in the premenstrual period was 2.8±0.78, 2.7±0.82 during menstruation, and 2.5±0.73 in the postmenstrual period. Nutritional power scale scores differ according to menstrual periods. The difference between the periods was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Menstruation is an important period that affects a large part of a woman's life, and nutrient deficiencies can reveal wrong eating behaviors. Changes in hormones during the menstrual cycle can have negative effects on food intake and appetite. Studies are needed to understand these negative effects and mechanisms in the menstrual cycle. Dietitians have an important role in raising awareness on this issue.